Avro Lancaster Parachute Stowages - Help please.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Dear all,

I have tried, but did not manage to obtain a precise information on oficial sources (Air Ministry Publications, Avro Lancaster Instructional Course, etc.) about ALL Parachute Stowages for the 7 crew on an Avro Lancaster.

From what I have read and mapped out:

1) The Bomb Aimer did have a parachute stowage (number 29) on AVRO Instructional Course on the wall to the upper;
2-3) Did the pilot and Flight Engineer share the same stowage compartment behind the Captain's seat ??
4) Where was stowed the parachute of the Navigator?
5) Where was stowed the parachute of the Wireles-Operator? On the fuselage (mid-way)?
6) The mid-upper gunner sat on his parachute?
7) The rear-gunner did have a stowage on the side wall of the fuselage, nearby the entrance of his turret. OK this one.

Did the stowage compartment of the Captain allows more than one parachute to be stowed? Could that of the Flight-Engineer be kept alongside?

Does anyone do have a Picture or diagram of the Parachute Stowage for both the Captain and the Flight Engineer on an Avro Lancaster?

baumgartner_asv@yahoo.com.br

Adriano S. Baumgartner

[alieneyes1]

Adriano,


Every Lancaster pilot I have ever spoken to told me they wore the "seat type" parachute, so no stowage required.


Dave

[RSwank]

You may have seen this but the first two diagrams on the link seem to show at least 10-12 different "possible" parachute storage locations. Perhaps not all were used.

https://masterbombercraig.wordpress....ety-equipment/


There is also a discussion of bailout procedures here:

https://www.quora.com/What-was-the-p...ut-the-copilot

[Snautzer]

http://jproc.ca/rrp/rrp3/lanc_emergency_equip_b.jpg

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Dear Snautzer, RSwank and Dave,

Thank you so much for the kind help.

DAVE, I noticed on the information sent that it seems that only around 1944, the seat type parachute for pilots was standardized.

Could a Commanding Officer (and pilot) decide which type of parachute he would wear, or was this, in mid 1943, standard? I mean, all of them had to wear the chest-pack type?

The photographic evidences I do have suggest that the airman I am writing about was wearing a chest-pack parachute and that he may have passed his "Chute" or pack to his Flight-Engineer (the sole survivor of this crew).

Sadly the Flight-Engineer died in early 1950's...so we can not ascertain for sure if there was only 6 parachutes, if the Captain give his chute to him trying to keep the aircraft levelled off, etc...

I am trying, based on oficial documents (such as Air Ministry Publications, Avro Lancaster Course, etc.) to imagine what happened during the last seconds of the crew.

But thank you all for the most valuable help and contribution. I haven't seen the other stowages compartments before, so you solved one of my doubts...THANK YOU all!

Adriano S. Baumgartner, ASV 00.344